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Wrestling With My Thoughts

A Doctor With Severe Mental Illness Discovers Strength

Wrestling With My Thoughts

A Doctor With Severe Mental Illness Discovers Strength

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More than 50 units in stock.

Paperback / softback

£9.99

£4.99

Publisher: Inter-Varsity Press
ISBN: 9781789740882
Number of Pages: 208
Published: 01/09/9900
Width: 13.8 cm
Height: 21.6 cm

She couldn't believe it. There she was with her medical qualifications sitting on the floor of a mental hospital. She'd offered her life to God, wanted to serve him anywhere, but no, surely not this... Sharon Hastings is absolutely passionate about helping anyone who suffers from 'severe and enduring mental illness' (SEMI): schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder. She wants the church to know all about these illnesses: how they devastate ordinary people and how they need to be treated. By telling her story, warts and all, showing her own tortuous, painful journey, she equips us to come alongside loved ones, fellow church members, friends and neighbours, understanding the social and spiritual ramifications of their illnesses, including them in our activities (where appropriate) and encouraging their spiritual growth. A natural storyteller, the author draws us in. We journey with her. With wisdom, kindness and the heart of a bruised survivor, she interweaves her exceptional story with vital teaching which simply cannot be ignored by anyone within the church today.

Contents Introduction: Deep joy 1 Too numb to pray - Wrestling with thoughts of darkness 2 The symphonies have lost their colour - Wrestling with low mood 3 I want to go home - Wrestling with my loss of freedom 4 Throwing the bouquet in the bin - Wrestling with my identity 5 A case too complex to treat - Wrestling with rejection 6 He wants me back - Wrestling with God 7 Sighing out my bitterness - Wrestling with despair 8 Too alive - Wrestling with suicidal thoughts 9 Aftercare. At last - Wrestling with my body 10 More than well - Wrestling with mania 11 Support for my application - Wrestling with the General Medical Council 12 The network of the fourth dimension - Wrestling with psychosis 13 A complicated little creature - Wrestling, with fresh hope 14 This doesn't feel like 'friends' - Wrestling with risk 15 It's not your average relationship - Wrestling with first love 16 Even there your hand will guide - Wrestling, with acceptance Epilogue Appendix 1 FAQs Appendix 2 Useful contacts and resources End notes

Sharon Hastings

Sharon Hastings graduated as a medical doctor but became a writer after being diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder in her twenties. She lives in County Down with her husband, Rob, their young son, and two golden retrievers. Sharon enjoys seaside and forest walks, practising mindfulness, and reading – non-fiction for herself and children’s stories with her little one. She is passionate about improving understanding of severe mental illness in the Church.

Sharon Hastings has done a true service by spelling out mental illness... This book is a good resource for those who likewise 'wrestle', as well as the helpers alongside. -- Philip Yancey * Bestselling author (of books like What's So Amazing about Grace), journalist and speaker * Mental health, and mental illness, is one of the most frequently discussed topics in the church, and what Sharon writes, and the approach she uses, are very useful. -- Professor Andrew Sims (commenting on draft 1 of the manuscript) With courageous humility, Sharon Hastings has given us a rare privilege: sharing the experience of a Christian with mental illness. Her story is honest, at times heart-rending, but eventually hopeful. This book will pass on that hope to many struggling Christians who can easily feel excluded and forgotten. It will also equip the church better to understand and care for those who appear to be the weaker members of the body - but upon whom God has bestowed greater honour. Read this book, witness living faith, and see why God esteems those weakened through mental ill-health. -- Dr Andrew Collins, consultant psychiatrist and biblical counsellor What an incredible story and what an incredible woman... Severe mental illness is a difficult and painful topic, but Sharon writes with immense courage and clarity about her experiences. Writing from both a personal and a clinical perspective, she offers a unique insight into depression, bipolar, EDNOS and schizoaffective disorder. I was inspired, challenged and profoundly moved by her story - and you will be too. Raw and powerful, this is a book that demands to be read. -- Emma Scrivener, author and blogger It is a strange truth that when people generalise how to handle suffering they often compound it; but when people relate the specifics of their own suffering, they give untold confidence and inspiration to others, even when in very different circumstances. Sharon Hastings' story is heartbreaking but very powerful. It is a bravely honest testimony to the goodness of God, the vital support of loving friends, and the resilience and perseverance of a remarkable person. To be invited to walk alongside her during some of the darkest periods of her life is a rare privilege indeed. -- Mark Meynell, speaker, trainer, author and blogger Sharon's story is raw and compelling. It engenders hope that true grace can be found in the midst of deep suffering. Her battle with mental illness has been characterised by a gritty perseverance which forms real character. As she testifies herself, this is made possible by the fact that she is being held by God even when all seems lost. This book can be of much help to believers who struggle with the shame and stigma of profound mental disorder. It provides wise advice for churches seeking to respond well to those who are afflicted with severe psychological conditions. It is to the immense benefit of others that Sharon has been able to bravely recount her journey, and that her intense internal wrestling has not been in vain. -- Dr Ken Yeow

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